


Journey of a Wayward Actor

by Verida



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Dreams, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hermit arcana, JuTai can be platonic or romantic, all of autumn troupe is implied, hint of platonic BanJu, tarot symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verida/pseuds/Verida
Summary: When an actor gets burnout, it can get hard to jump back up. Still, maybe an examination of their inner selves (and their play) is what they need to pick themselves back up at least a little.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza & Nanao Taichi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17
Collections: A3 Tarot Zine





	Journey of a Wayward Actor

**Author's Note:**

> (From Labrinythos Tarot)  
> Hermit (Upright): self-reflection, introspection, contemplation, withdrawal, solitude, search for self  
> Hermit (Reverse): loneliness, isolation, recluse, being anti-social, rejection, returning to society

It happened again: Juza Hyodo forgot his line. “Hyodo, how many times do I have to tell ya, you’re late in the delivery again!” Banri grilled on Juza for who knows how many times at this point. “At least look like you’re tryin’!”

Juza glared at Banri. “I’m tryin’, but ‘s not workin’.''   
“To hell with that! You’ve been out of it since we started practice, and you’re callin’ this tryin’?” Banri yelled.  
“What’cha say?” Juza growled. They were about to throw blows at each other when Sakyo yelled out his two cents.  
“Get back to positions and keep yourselves in line, damn brats!” 

“Okay, from the top,” Izumi said with a worried smile. Juza then returned to his position in defeat. Why wasn’t he able to embody Rover? Was it because Rover was too different from him? Or was his acting getting slow?

“‘Rover, come on’,” Taichi started as he played as Clemont, the well-off son of a miner company. “I want to travel the lands with you and see what it is to explore the world as a vagabond!”

“‘Clemont, that life’s not for you’,” Juza said as he brushed off Taichi’s hands. “You saw how your folks treat you. You’re a kid who’s spoiled rotten and not made for the life I’m in’,” he says. He clenched his fist and turned around. _No, this isn’t good either,_ Juza thought. He looked at his script again, trying to use Benjamin or Kumon as a base for Clemont, but it was still not clicking...

Taichi didn’t make any comment on his lack of action, thinking that it was a character cue. He then yelled out his line, “‘Then teach me to live like you!’” Juza’s action was supposed to come next, but no response. “Juza?” Taichi called out for him. No response. 

“It’s your line, numbskull,” Banri called out to him. No response.

Izumi then clapped her hands. “Well, I think this would be the best time to stop for today,” she said with her best smile. “Everyone, work on the parts we looked over for next time since tomorrow’s your day off.”

Everyone exchanged their quiet good jobs and left accordingly, but Juza stayed behind as he went to Izumi. “Can I talk to you for a bit?” he asked, to which Izumi then nodded. “Sure, what’s up?”

Juza shuffled his feet and looked down to the floor. “What do you do if you feel… stuck?” 

Izumi looked at him with confusion, “As in stuck in your role?”

Juza shook his head. “Nah, nothing like that,” he then took a breath. “I feel that something’s stuck. I still enjoy acting and all, but it's getting harder to be in the moment and it bugs me,” he confessed. Closing his eyes, he cautiously asked, “You think I’ve grown stale?” 

“No, not at all, Juza! It’s okay to feel burnt out from acting, especially once you’ve done multiple roles,” she said in relief. “How about this? Tomorrow, you take a break and try to look back on why you started acting in the first place?” 

Juza opened his eyes and gave a nod. “Kay. Just let me do this section before I leave.”

Izumi sighed in disappointment, but gave a small nod. “Don’t stay stuck here for too long,” was all she said before closing the door.

Juza laid down on the ground and continued to read the script. After what seemed to be hours of mindless reading, he yelled in frustration and looked up to the ceiling. Why was acting so much harder all of the sudden? His vision blurred to black as he gave a yawn. A nap probably won’t help him figure out the answers, but it would relax his muscles if nothing else.

<><><>

The wind is howling.  
As his blurry sight clears, a single boat lies ahead of him, leading into a foggy lake in the middle of a forest. 

Juza carefully sits up, but hears the small clattering of metal from his feet. Rover’s staff and gas lantern. He then looks down at his clothes, the loose fibers and the leather armor making it obvious that he’s in Rover’s clothes.

“Rover!” a voice shouted from a distance. Turning around, Juza sees Taichi approach, wearing Clemont’s coal miner costume.

“Taichi? Why are you here?” Juza asked as he stood up, to which Taichi looked confused. “Taichi’s not my name, it’s Clemont!” he said with a pouty face.

Juza stopped for a moment before clearing his throat and saying, “Oh, uh, sorry. Clemont..” Maybe if he picked up the cue faster, he wouldn’t have to make this encounter more awkward than it already is. Probably best to play along for now. “I was just deep in sleep.” 

“Looks like it,” he said as he looks at the ground. “So you also sleep on the ground in your lifestyle?”

“You sleep where you’re given, kid,” Juza bluntly remarked.

“I can’t think of going through life in such a way…” Clemont confessed. “This is why I want to see the world. To see beyond the confines of my well-off life.” Clemont then cries out to Juza, “Rover, take me with you! I want to live the life you live!”

Juza clenched his teeth. “No,” he said sternly. Though this is technically part of the script, he’s tense for another reason.

“Rover, come on,” Clemont started as he gave Juza a pat to his shoulder. “I want to travel the lands with you and see what it is to explore the world as a vagabond!”

“Clemont, that life’s not for you,” Juza said as he brushed off Clemont’s hands, though rougher than it was in practice. “You saw how your folks treat you. You’re a kid who’s spoiled rotten and not made for the life I’m in.” It’s still not clicking… If he can’t even do well in his dreams, then how is he-

“Then teach me to live like you!” Clemont yelled.

Juza slowly turns around and picks up his staff from the ground and stands tall. He then swiftly turns around and raises his staff to Clemont’s neck, ready to cut him down. Clemont raises his hands and shuts his eyes, but he stands his ground. Juza looks down at him with piercing eyes. “Don’t. Say. That. You have a home to return to, while--” Juza then froze. He dropped his staff and lowered himself down to the ground again, out of character. He was able to say that line, but…it shook him. He needs to wake up soon, everything is becoming too realistic. However, he sees Clemont approaching him with careful steps, but with confidence.

“I’m… I’m really sorry if I offended you,” Clemont said. This is off-script. “Did you…lose someone?” Juza remains silent, wondering if he should answer it as Juza or as Rover. Clemont hums in acknowledgement at his silence. “Well, I can’t understand you if you’re silent, so speak up!” he said with a slightly more encouraging voice.

“You have a home, family, everything. What makes you worthy of walking the road I walk?” Juza muttered, saying his lines.

Clemont sat down, pondering on the question. After a few moments, he slowly looked up at Juza. “I…I see your point, but, I still want to help you, somehow,” he pleaded. “Even if it’s just a trinket or a weapon, I’ll still keep it in your memory. Or if not for you,” he pauses with a smile. “For your family,” he said.

Juza, the man who doesn’t speak much to begin with, became speechless. He looks down to the staff again. The staff that Rover’s father left behind. The last link to his family in the play. He picks up the staff, and after taking in the details for a few moments, he gives the staff to Clemont. Clemont’s face went frantic with the offering.

“Wait, don’t you need this?!” Clemont worried.

Juza smiled. “Anything to shut you up,” he said as he turned on the lantern.

The distant sound of guns echoed in the distance. “I’ll make sure they never know,” Clemont whispers to Juza as he runs away. With that, Juza went to the creaking boat and then floated into the fog.

<><><>

Juza wakes up in the practice room in a cold sweat. However, a familiar voice brings him back to his senses. “Welcome back, Juza!” Taichi said with a smile, giving him a quick embrace, much to Juza’s surprise. “What the-?” “You’ve been out of it when I came in to check on you, so here I am!” Taichi replied.

Honestly, Juza’s mind is still trying to catch up, but looking at Taichi, he was the one to stay behind. “Thanks, Taichi,” Juza said with an amused grin. Taichi gave a small chuckle as he stood up. “How about we get something to eat? My treat,” he suggested. 

Juza opens his mouth, ready to protest, but then again...the play is still weeks away.

“...The confectionary shop,” Juza grinned.

\--Story Clear--

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is one of the fics in A3! Tarot Zine! Come check out all of our art and writing works over at @/A3Tarot on Twitter!
> 
> Honestly, with Juza and his passion for acting, the idea of Juza feeling that he's plateaued as an actor has always been something that I've wanted to explore since actor burnout is a very real thing. And with Juza incorporated as the Hermit, I wanted him to be more upright than reverse, but it also could represent the two sides. Also, I'm a sucker for the play dreams and a vagabond play sounds the best so far. 
> 
> So I hope you enjoyed this work and be sure to check out the rest of the collection and the zine itself!
> 
> Edit: I just realized the day now and apparently it's Taichi's b-day over in jp at the time of this release, so happy b-day Taichi!


End file.
